Saints' bounty scandal tops local year end sports list

Monday

Dec 31, 2012 at 4:44 PM

The 2012 local sports scene was a mixed bag. The New Orleans Saints had a season they would like to forget after a bounty scandal rocked the organization.LSU also had a disappointing start to 2012 after losing to Alabama, 21-0, in the BCS championship game in New Orleans.

Brent St. GermainSports Editor

The 2012 local sports scene was a mixed bag. The New Orleans Saints had a season they would like to forget after a bounty scandal rocked the organization.LSU also had a disappointing start to 2012 after losing to Alabama, 21-0, in the BCS championship game in New Orleans.But all of the news was not bad. It was a banner season for several area high school football teams and the Nicholls women's basketball team had one of the best seasons in school history. Throughout the year, there were many events that made the 2012 local sports scene a roller coaster.The Courier and Daily Comet sports staff voted on the Top 10 local sports stories of 2012. Here is that list:

1. BOUNTY SCANDAL ROCKS SAINTSThe 2012 season was one of promise for the Saints as they were trying to become the first team to play in the Super Bowl in its home stadium.But those dreams were dashed on March 2 when the NFL announced it claimed it had evidence that the team operated a bounty system in which players were paid bonuses for hard hits and trying to injure opponents from 2009 to 2011. The NFL handed down tough punishment on the Saints, including the season-long suspensions for head coach Sean Payton and linebacker Jonathan Vilma, eight-game suspension for general manager Mickey Loomis, six-game suspension for assistant coach Joe Vitt and multiple-game suspensions for other players.The cloud from the bounty scandal, also known as "Bountygate" hung over the Saints for the entire season. Without Payton and appeals hanging over the team the entire season, the Saints struggled throughout the season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008. The Saints ended the season with a 7-9 record.

2. LSU STUMBLES IN BCS TITLE GAMELSU's quest to win its third Bowl Championship Series national championship ended with a performance many fans would like to forget.After winning the SEC title with a 13-0 record and being ranked No. 1 in the BCS standings, LSU earned a spot in the national championship game, and standing in its way was SEC West rival the Alabama Crimson Tide. The two teams met earlier in the season in battle of No. 1 vs. No. 2 with LSU winning 9-6 in overtime,But in the national championship game, it was all Alabama. The Crimson Tide's defense shut down LSU's offense, limiting the Tigers to 92 yards of total offense in a 21-0 victory. The win gave Alabama its second BCS title in three years, while LSU finished the season at No. 2.

3. BANNER SEASON FOR PREP FOOTBALL TEAMSThe 2012 high school football season was one many local fans will remember for quite some time.The season started off on a sour note after Hurricane Isaac disrupted the start of the season. But some teams were able to take the field, and the Ellender Patriots made the most of it with a 26-7 win over Terrebonne to end a 32-game losing streak. But in the end, three local teams — Houma Christian, South Lafourche and Vandebilt Catholic — had seasons that were some of the best in the history of the schools. Houma Christian made the Class 1A state playoffs for the first time in school history in only its second season fielding a varsity team. South Lafourche headed into the Class 5A playoffs with a 9-0 record — its first undefeated regular season since 1966 — and captured the District 7-5A title. Vandebilt made the deepest run in the playoffs of any area team, reaching the Class 4A quarterfinals and featured one of the state's top players in quarterback Elijah McGuire (who led the state with over 2,600 yards rushing and 31 touchdowns).

4. HURRICANE ISAAC DISRUPTS SPORTSHurricane Isaac slammed into southeast Louisiana on Aug. 28, and the storm had a major impact on the local sports scene.Seven high school football teams were forced to cancel their season openers as a result of the storm. H.L. Bourgeois, Terrebonne, Ellender, Vandebilt Catholic, E.D. White Catholic and Assumption were the only local teams to play the opening weekend. The storm also postponed the majority of the opening week volleyball matches and shortened Assumption's Bayou Classic to one day. Nicholls' sports schedule was also altered because of the storm. The Colonels season-opening football game against Oregon State was postponed until Dec. 1, while the volleyball team had to cancel its tournament — the Bayou Invitational.

5. NICHOLLS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HAS BANNER SEASONBehind the play of Sumar Leslie and KK Babin, the Nicholls State women's basketball team had what can be considered the best season in school history.The Colonels returned to the Southland Conference Tournament for the first time since the 2004-05 season and made history along the way. By making a tournament record 14 3-pointers, the Colonels won their first ever postseason game by knocking off top-seed Central Arkansas, 79-59, in an opening-round game. Nicholls' tournament run, however, came to an end with a 66-57 loss to Stephen F. Austin in the SLC tournament semifinals.Leslie, a first-team selection on the Louisiana Sports Writers Association's All-Louisiana team, signed with a professional basketball with the Ammerud Queens in Norway. Babin, a third-team pick on the All-Louisiana team, returned this season for her junior year and has helped guide the Colonels to an 8-3 record, their best start in school history.

6. COLONELS STRUGGLE AGAIN IN FOOTBALLComing off a 1-10 season in 2011, the Nicholls State football team was looking for a better year in 2012.Things didn't get off to a promising start as the Colonels' Sept. 1 season opener against Oregon State was postponed because of Hurricane Isaac. Nicholls and Oregon State played the game on Dec. 1.It was the fifth game Nicholls has been forced to cancel because of a hurricane.Once the team returned to the practice field, things didn't get much better. The Colonels dropped their first two games of the season, extending their losing streak to 12 games. After defeating NAIA Evangel University, 73-17, Nicholls closed the season losing eight-straight games to finish 1-10 for the second straight season. The Colonels have compiled a 2-10 overall record and 0-14 in the SLC the past two seasons.

7. TERREBONNE HIGH STAR SHINES NATIONALLYTerrebonne High baseball star Justin Williams had a year he will never forget, starting the year by earning Class 5A all-state honors as a utility player and ending it by signing a national letter-of-intent to play baseball at LSU. But over the summer, Williams made a name for himself on the national stage. Williams gained some national exposure this summer when he competed in the Perfect Game All-American Classic at PETCO Park in San Diego on Aug. 12 and at the Under Armour All-American Game at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Aug. 18. He won the home run derby at both nationally-televised contests.Williams is ranked in the Top 5 of most national high school baseball recruiting lists for 2013. He is ranked as the nation's No. 3 overall prospect according to Perfect Game, and ESPN.com recruiting article ranked him as the second-best outfielder in nation and Louisiana's top baseball recruit for the Class of 2013.

8. COVENANT CHRISTIAN ACADEMY JOINS LHSAAAfter dominating the competition in the Louisiana Christian School Athletic Association for the past four years, Covenant Christian Academy decided it was time to make the jump to the Louisiana High School Athletic Association.Covenant Christian was officially voted into the LHSAA on Jan. 25 and began competing in it for the 2012-13 season. Although the Lions would be a member of the LHSAA, they would not be able to compete in the state playoffs in any sports for one academic year. CCA's football team fared well, posting a 6-1 record in its first competition against LHSAA teams.When the LHSAA finalized district for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years, it placed Covenant Christian in a district with Houma Christian and New Orleans-area schools Crescent City, Ecole Classique, Country Day, Ridgewood and St. Martin's. CCA will be eligible for the playoffs and all-district honors for the 2013-14 season.

9. E.D. WHITE CATHOLIC RUNNERS, SWIMMERS FARE WELLIn a one week span in November, E.D. White Catholic wrapped up banner seasons in cross county and boys swimming.For the second week in a row, E.D. White's boys and girls cross country teams pulled off the sweep by taking home Class 3A state titles.The boys team scored 43 points to beat West Feliciana for the state title, while the girls team scored 31 to easily top South Beauregard. Winning state cross country titles is nothing new for E.D. White. The Cardinals have now won 14 state titles, including seven straight from 2002-08, while this year's state championship was the fourth overall for the girls team.Two days later, it was the E.D. White boys swimming team leaving its mark, finishing as the Division III state runner-up. The Cardinals finished second to St. Charles Catholic by six points. E.D. White's boys team also finished as the state runner-up in 2000 and 2006.

10. LADY CARDINALS FINISH AS STATE RUNNER-UPEach year, the E.D. White volleyball team is in the mix for a Division III state volleyball championship, and 2012 was no different.The Lady Cardinals reached the state championship match for the first time since winning it all in 2008, but unfortunately, they came up just a bit short against Ursuline Academy. ED. White battled for five sets, but in the end, Ursuline pulled out a 19-25, 25-20, 24-26, 25-16, 15-9 win and the state championship.It was E.D. White's eighth appearance in the Division state championship match, finishing as the state runner-up in 2000, 2003-08 and 2012.